Bird watchers are drawn to the St. George Winter Bird Festival —running from Thursday, Jan. 28 through Sunday, Jan. 30 — not only to enjoy the region’s mild January weather but also to view the more than 375 species of birds that the area attracts. Winter’s chill forces shrubs and trees to shed their leaves, creating an idyllic environment to catch glimpses of otherwise elusive and beautifully brilliant species of birds.

The majority of this year’s St. George Winter Bird Festival events will take place during the day at the Tonaquint Nature Center at Tonaquint Park in St. George at 1851 South Dixie Dr., with Thursday and Friday evening presentations hosted at the St. George Children’s Museum located at 86 South Main Street in St. George, Utah.

The St. George Winter Bird Festival provides the public with opportunities to enjoy a wide variety of fun and exciting educational workshops for adults and children, presentations, field trips, and more to learn more about the vast species of birds.

In its 13th year, the festival will host presentations such as “Introduction to Birding” and workshops like the “Junior Birder Program” and “Build a Birdhouse” just for kids as well as field trips to regional birding hot spots such as Zion National Park, Quail Creek, Sand Hollow, Hurricane Fields, and the Lytle Ranch. Daily lectures include species identification, banding, predators, and photography. Longtime fans of the St. George Winter Bird Festival are excited to hear from keynote speaker Kate Davis, founder of the nonprofit organization “Raptors of the Rockies” and author of “Raptors of the West Captured in Photographs” and “American Kestrel; Pint-sized Predator.”

For more information regarding registration and a schedule of activities, field trips, and lectures included in the 2016 St. George Winter Bird Festival, call (435) 673-0996 or visit sgcity.org/birdfestival. The cost for the event is $10. Tickets can be picked up at the St. George Children’s Museum during the Thursday evening presentation and at the Red Cliffs Audubon Society’s booth, located at the Tonaquint Park, on Friday and Saturday.